Yep, our dealer has an F800S loaner bike for sale: low miles & loaded with stuff (ABS, heated grips, TPM, computer). Exactly the options I'd choose from the Build-a-Bike menu. Here's a token media photo:
And most importantly, our dealer's gently-loaned F800S is RED. Mrs. Sweatmark's Mediterranean blood is always stirred by bright & vibrant colors, particularly deep hues of red. In stark contrast, my Scandinavian genetic material prefers subtle shades of GREY- since bright sunlight means bright sunburn and accelerated hair loss.
Lunchtime today between customer calls, I stopped by to get some details. (1) Loaner F800S is still available. (2) The bike is in good condition. (3) All service campaign work completed, of course. (4) Trade-in value for the Roadster is close to my initial guess, making the deal a possibility. (5) Sales Manager Tom was kind enough to let me take a demo ride.
Showroom floor:
Tom rolls the bike outside to see if it will run; it's been a fixture in the dealership for a few months now and hasn't seen much love or battery tender time. In contrast, I'm confident that the F800 will start because I don't see any R1150 twin-spark stick coils!
And with one button push it's purring rhythmically, Teutonically, with subtly sporty intent:
I ride for about 30 minutes, in city traffic, some two-lane, and a taste of Interstate. To pay back the favor, I filled the bike with fresh Premium before returning to the dealership. Here are my demo ride impressions:
F800 motor does its job well. There's enough torque to satisfy real world riding requirements, especially for folks with Boxer motor experience. Feels a little buzzy in specific RPM zones, but smooths out (more than the R1150 Type259 engine) in the sweet spot occupied by cruising speed in gears 4, 5, and 6.
F800 motor does its job well. Clever parallel twin design yields the additional revs we BMW Boxer (and Buell) riders secretly yearn for. There's enough power at higher RPMs to make the ride interesting - I'm not talking about 600/1000 four cylinder manic chainsaw interesting, but enough power to make you feel sporty.
Speaking of sporty: the F800S "clip-ons" offer an aggressive riding position. I'm not sure Mrs. Sweatmark will like the ergonomics, and only time and her own demo ride will tell. For me, I was thinking "trackdays" as soon as I hit the highway! Actually, there's a sportbike posture and dynamic (steering response, rider input requirements) that feels universal to me, e.g GSXR, CBR-RR, etc., and the F800S possesses that characteristic sportbike demeanor.
What's un-sporty is the bike's soft OE suspension setup. We're talking plush, like one of those 4-seater LazyBoy recliner behemoths with 8 cupholders, vibro-massage, and a beer cooler hidden under articulating arm-rest. Yep, that plush. Well, actually not H-D Road King plush but "too soft for a proper sportsbike", I thought to myself while gliding over rough pavement. And then the realization of Truth appeared like sunlight streaming through Oregon's gray June cloudy day: no, this isn't really a sportsbike, because it's a BMW and has expectation of usefulness. Now, my Buell XB is not useful: its custom suspension is bliss during a trackday but torture on any real road; in contrast, the F800S offers a balanced & controlled ride without undue chiropractor-enrichening vertebrae hammering. OK, the BMW is sporty-ish and useful.
Two things I really like: the well-designed controls and clocks (that's actually "one thing"), and the fuel tank and filler location (those are also "one thing", if you know what I mean). The controls are typical BMW world class stuff. One of my big beefs with the old F650s was the cheesy switchgear quality - unbecoming of a Beemer; you can't knock the F800 bikes in this regard, becauseall the details are really nicely done: switchgear, gauges, and info-packed display. As for the fuel tank and filler, my gas stop experience with the F800S taught me what plenty of folks already know: that angled side filler location makes life simple, with practical filling while bike's on side-stand, and no fiddling with tank bags!
I really appreciate the thoughtful & restrained approach to this motorcycle's controls and instrumentation:
Parting glance, tank full, engine warm: crouching tiger, hidden German sensibility.
Will be interesting to hear Mrs. Sweatmark's impressions following a test ride when time permits. Ya'all be the first to know!
